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Three Complications, Two Iconic Watches, One Distributor: A Look At Two Chronos Sold by H. Stern

During the 1940s, the world was crazy for chronographs. It was during this time that the world's foremost watch brand, Patek Philippe, first introduced production references of a perpetual calendar chronograph, featuring a perpetual triple calendar (day-month-date), a two-button chronograph, and a moonphase indicator.

These early reference PP perpetual chronographs are some of the most coveted watches in the world. They command extremely high prices at auction, but if money is truly no object, you can find a "museum quality" example here.

The Henri Stern Watch Agency was the exclusive US distributor for Patek Philippe (Henri Stern, father of the current Patek CEO Philippe Stern, went on to lead the company after masterfully developing the market for Patek Philippe in America). HSWA represented but one other brand, Universal Geneve.

An under-appreciated manufacture, UG was instrumental in popularizing complicated watches. They were the first to introduce the two button chronograph (which allows one to stop and restart the chronograph function without returning to zero) and introduced many variations of their "Compax" chronographs. The ultimate was the Tri-Compax, which featured a beautifully readable presentation of its three complications; triple date (sorry, this one isn't perpetual), moonphase and chronograph.

These watches are iconic in their own right, and were produced in a variety of materials and subtleties of style. We like the gold models (President Truman wore one), but they seem to be getting scarce. The one we have for you today is a very clean stainless steel example, reasonably priced "on sale" at $4999. You can learn more about it here.

This article was written by guest contributor Frank Gencarelli, Thanks Frank!

Quick Editor's note, this is now the fourth watch we have featured on Hodinkee that was worn by Harry S. Truman. The others are the Agassiz World-Timer, the Vulcain Cricket, the Gallet Flying Officer. Was Truman the biggest watch nut we've had in the White House? Sure looks that way!

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Friday March 3, 2012

HODINKEE is one of the most widely read wristwatch publications in the world. Launched in 2008 by then 25-year-old Benjamin Clymer, the site quickly gained notoriety for earnest looks at some of the industry’s most interesting, and occasionally forgotten timepieces.